August 27, 2014

Summer Reflections

I'm joining Cuisine Kathleen for her "Farewell to Summer" tablescape challenge. I chose to reflect on some of our State's favorite summertime kind of fun!

Besides Michigan's claim to fame with the "Motor City" we are a state that also relies on heavy tourism. Not only is Michigan surrounded by the Great Lakes, we are a state loaded with many inland lakes, rivers and streams.

Reflecting on Summertime

I began by hanging a fishnet to my umbrella and made my centerpiece by starting with a 6 ft. garland made of driftwood pieces that I draped around at the base of the umbrella The table top is a "water glass" so we'll pretend that it is our water. I surrounded it with accents to reflect my thoughts.

Fishing is a favorite pastime along with canoeing and we have seagulls too (big beggars)!

With Labor Day a few days away everyone will be heading up north for their last family hurrah before school starts in Michigan!

Lounging around on Adirondack chairs, campfires, boating, water skiing, grilling and camping are wonderful ways to create memories.

Ducks, Loons and many other kinds of wildlife are enjoyed

I added some cut flowers from my gardens and used these cottage styled candle votive holders for a vase.

Using my striped plates for a pattern pop I added a layer with a creamy white dish to allow my new salad/dessert plates to be highlighted.

I came across these in Mackinaw City recently. They are handmade by a Michigan artist. She put a little heart up where Mackinaw City is located in the state.

37 comments:

Hi Liz, You're speaking my love language with Adirondack chairs, boating and lake living! I love your little bouquets at the table and your hydrangeas and flowers are beautiful! What a cool and serene setting! Wishing you a Happy Memorial Day weekend, but the water or at the table with your water glass :)

Liz, what a lovely table setting. We used to live in Farmington Hills, MI and had a home that backed to the woods just like yours! I miss all of the lakes as we had a boat and would take the kids up to the U.P. to vacation. Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Liz, I am so impressed with your creativity! Love the luscious flower pots and baskets around your deck. Your garden is so pretty. Your summer reflection tablescape has a myriad of creative layers. Love the napkin rings and chargers together highlighting your new handpainted plates. What a grand backdrop!Enjoy your Labor Day holiday.

Great centerpiece Liz! I love all the fun and significant elements you have tucked here and there among the driftwood~those new Michigan plates are just fabulous! What a great table to spotlight your area and what summer means there!Jenna

I love the centerpiece too. The fish net around the umbrella pole with the driftwood garland around the base studded with the water fowl and the little lake vacation mementos is so creative. Love the plates with the state of Michigan hand painted onto the pretty blue background.

I love how you incorporate all the elements of lakeside living on your table, Liz. Your new luncheon plates are so pretty with the hand painted design. I love your view from your table and all your colorful flowers. Enjoy the remainder of your summer.

Liz, the plates from Mackinaw City are fabulous! Very creative how the artist put the little heart up where Mackinaw City is located in the state. Your area reminds me so much of where our camp is located in the Adirondacks. We hear the loons calling in the morning, and we sit in Adirondack chairs around the campfire. Wishing you a nice Labor Day weekend!

Liz, this is an adorable tablescape with such great attention to detail. Loved all the cuter than cute pieces like the little boat, the fish, etc. And great plates. I have always wanted to go to Mackinaw. When my father was a tiny boy in the early 1900's, his family would pack up and head north in the summers to Bay View. I have some wonderful pictures of them on their vacations there. One day I would love to visit Michigan in the summer. My husband has been numerous times on business, so I feel deprived! So I just need to rectify that.

This backyard patio is to die for and your colors of flowers are so lush and beautiful.You did an excellent job bringing it all together I can just imagine how nice it must be to sit out there and enjoy a summer evening.Susie

Thank you for hosting a great food party. Hope you enjoy my dessert. It's great to be part of such a wonderful flowers scene and finding new inspiration from all over the world. Thank you for having me at your placeDecorate your Dining Table

I kept thinking about that commercial for "Pure Michigan" as I scrolled through this photos. It all looks so welcoming and summery. I love the centerpiece with all the details, and I really love those little hand painted plates in the setting. They are so simple yet perfect. I have only been to Michigan once in my life, but I still remember how beautiful it was by the lake there. I would love to visit again, even more so after looking at your table. Excellent!

Very creative Liz and it captures the true essence of where you live. The surrounding gardens look fabulous. I visited Michigan when I was a teenager with my family. Love the little boat and sign and your dishes look great together. Gotta love those Bahia glasses. Perfect table.....

A very pretty table and a lovely setting too. You reminded me of many happy memories on the shores of Lake Michigan. I grew up in one of the suburbs just north of Chicago and I went to the beach every day. What a happy time. Thanks for taking me back there for a few moments. Have a very happy Labor Day weekend.

I love this Liz. It makes me feel as though I am with my son's family as they just moved to the UP from EL. Those plates are adorable! Hmmm...I wonder if she has a website as I would like to maybe order some for them? Have a wonderful weekend :-)

Your table is just stunning! Being originally a Wisconsonian and having Lake Michigan as a shared lake, I can really relate! We spent many fun times along the shores of Lake Michigan.I love all of your little details. It makes such a fun story.Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend.

Hi Liz, WOW what a great tablescape for the end of summer. I love it and all the elements you used for lake living. Love those Mich. plates too. This reminds me of growing up in Michigan with my family all going to Lake Erie nearly every weekend. It was a fabulous time.Wishing you a wonderful Labor Day Weekend.XO

BEAUTIFUL table! You're right, Michigan is a great place to vacation. We just returned from there and had a wonderful time!! We spend most of our time in Petoskey but actually drove around Lake Michigan with a side trip to Grand Rapids. I love those plates and the centerpiece!! Thanks so much for reminding us of a great summer vacation with this beautiful setting, Liz!!!

Wow, your centerpiece is awesome, Liz...fishnet, canoe, fish, ducks, chair, sailboat, driftwood...I love it. Your back yard looks like the best place in the state to have a relaxing meal! Have a wonderful weekend.

What a lovely setting for a tablescape Liz! Your backyard is always so gorgeous this time of year. Love the centerpiece, wicker chargers and the rope knot napkin rings. Hope you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Your driftwood centerpiece has all the elements of a great summer on the lake. We used to vacation in Michigan quite a bit when the kids were little. Our trips to Douglas Lake are some of our favorite memories. Thanks for bringing those fun memories to life in your table!!

ABOUT ME

Welcome to Home and Gardening With Liz. I have combined my previous blogs “Infuse With Liz” and “Sit With Me In My Garden” into this new blog. I love interior decorating and gardening. I enjoy redefining interior spaces by moving things around and reusing decorative items already found in the home. I also enjoy creating tablescapes and an occasional crafting project. I'm so pleased you've stopped by. I invite you to follow me and I do hope you will keep coming back!
Liz